Generally, state legislatures provide representation in proportion to districts rather than population. Urban centers often represent a large portion of a state's population but only cover a handful of districts.
... yes, this is not a direct explanation, but you can extrapolate how subsidies arise for the suburbs when calculated on a per capita rather than per district basis.
> Generally, state legislatures provide representation in proportion to districts rather than population. Urban centers often represent a large portion of a state's population but only cover a handful of districts.
This was often true -- up until the 1960s. However, under the rule laid down in Reynolds v. Sims, 377 U.S. 533 (1964), state legislative districts were required to be apportioned so as to provide "substantially equal state legislative representation for all citizens".
... yes, this is not a direct explanation, but you can extrapolate how subsidies arise for the suburbs when calculated on a per capita rather than per district basis.